ARMISTICE DAY.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16986, 8 November 1920, Page 7

ARMISTICE DAY.

THE TWO MINUTES' SILENCE. (Received November 7th, midnight). LONDON, November 7. It is officially announced that the King has approved tiie Cabinet Committoe's rccommondation for the complete suspension of all normal business, work, and locomotion throughout the Empire during the two minutes' silence at 11 a.m. on Armistice Day. * NEW ZEALAND'S OBSERVANCE.

(special to "the press.") WELLINQTON, November 6. The following cablegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies (Lord Milner) detailing the manner m which Armistice L>ay was to be observed in the "United Kingdom was read m the Bouse of Representatives to-day by the Prime Minister. It has been decided that on Thursday, 11th inst., being the second anniversary* of tii© Armisttc©, tu© cen.o taph in Whitehall shall be unveiled by His Majesty the Jung, and that as oart of tne ceremony on that day there shall be* burled in Westminster Abbey* an unknown British warrior, whose body shall be taken from amongst those buried *in Franc©Every procaution will b© taken to vent his identity being known. 'lhe coffin will be brought to the cenotaph, where it will be met by the King, attended by representatives of the whole Empire. There will be a short service at the cenotaph, consisting of the singing of the hymn O God, Our Help in Ages Past, 1 ' and the Lords Prayer. This service will bo so timed, that the unveiling of the cenotaph takes place at 11 a.m.,* exactly after ■which there will bo two silence, followed by the Last Post. Wreaths will then be laid by His Majesty, the Prime Minister, and representatives of tho Empire. A funeral procession will then proceed to tho Abbey, where a funeral service will take place, tho body being buried in a grave in the nave of the Abbey. It is proposed that, just as laSt year, there should be during tlio two minutes' silence complete suspension of all normal business, work, and locomotion throughout the United Kingdom, that the thoughts of all may be concentrated in a revorent remembrance of the glorious dead. He need hardly state, continued Mr Massey, that in i\'ew Zealand we were equally interested in tiie observance of Armistice Day. Ho proposed on behalf j of the Government to ask the people of ; tljo country to celebrate the day in a < manner similar to that detailod for tho United Kingdom, particularly by the ob- J servance of two minutes' silence at 11 ; o'clock exactly on Thursday. He was askin'g the Minister of Internal Affairs to instruct his department to circularise loquests to this eliect. j Mr Luko asked tho Prime Minister if ho would request the churches to hold services on that day. _ | Mr Massey said that of course it was open for any church to do so. He would consult Cabinet and decide whether re- i quests should be made as suggested. The Mayor of Christchurch announced on Saturday night that a message had i been received from the King by tlio 1 Primo Minister asking the Mayors and people to observe the anniversary of Armistice Day by standing in silence and thinking for two minutes on Ihursday at 11 a.m. He trusted that the wish of tho King would be fuiiy and conscientiously observed by the people , of Christchurch on Thursday morning.